Crowdfunding effort seeks to resurrect Commodore 64 for retro gaming

The Commodore 64 holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many geeks, myself included. It was the first PC I ever played with, and it might soon be the newest computer on the market if a crowdfunding campaign is successful.

It's been a long time since the original C64 was in production. This re-imagined version of the original comes from Retro Games, a company in the UK that wants to bring it back in two forms, as a desktop and a handheld.

The desktop version will still come packed in a beige keyboard, but one that's less bulky than before. It will also have some updated amenities, such as HDMI output, USB ports, mini-USB power socket, an audio jack, SD card slot, and a cartridge slot. You can expect updated guts as well, though Retro Games didn't provide any specifics there.

The handheld version looks like what we'd picture as the lovechild of an original Game Boy and NES controller if the two had relations. It's outfitted with a D-pad, two fire buttons, function buttons, power and menu buttons, volume controls, micro USB power socket, micro-HDMI output, and an audio jack.

Both systems will come pre-loaded with games, and Retro Games says it will be "REALLY easy to add more titles" to the mix from the "thousands of games you can legally download off the Internet."

The financial goal on Indiegogo to make this happen is set at $150,000. Backers interested in the desktop version will need to pledge at least $150 (€133), or $175 (€155) to have it come bundled with a joystick. The handheld is going for $170 (€151) to backers.